Civil Society Forum "Eastern Partnership" condemns the actions of some members of Azerbaijan

Coordinating Council of the Civil Society Forum of the  EU "Eastern Partnership" adopted a statement of protest against the behavior of some members of the Azerbaijani delegation at the  event in Batumi. Online statement  published by the newspaper "Azadlig", condemned the actions of some persons  members of the Azerbaijan National Platform of the forum; in particular, the destruction of the stand prepared by the Czech organization "People in Need", expressing  posters  against repression in Azerbaijan, and portraits of political prisoners, the expression of aggression against the organizers. The exhibition was devoted to the situation of human rights and freedoms.

 The Forum’s Steering Committee decided to delete from the forum member of the Azerbaijani delegation Salim Babayev. The decision was motivated by the committing acts prejudicial to the credibility of the organization. The statement also referred to the chief editor of "Yeni Musavat" Rauf Arifoglu, who was invited by the Azerbaijan national platform for coverage of the event.

The statement said that Arifoglu widespread reports that the President of Georgia refused to participate in the forum because of "lobbying scandal", the organization of the stand (dedicated to human rights violations in Azerbaijan) by the member of the Steering Committee of the Forum Boris Navasardyan untrue.

In addition, it is noted that Arifoglu published "defamatory information" on the representatives of the organization "Reople in Need."  The actions of the members of the Azerbaijani delegation to boycott the event are regarded as a denial of their mandates.

This step is also regarded as a loss by  these individuals the right to vote in the election of delegates to the forum leaders from Azerbaijan national platform.

"The members of the Azerbaijani delegation should provide clarification, and only then their right to vote can be restored,"  the statements reads.-05D-